On June 16, 2023, the City of Waukegan will recognize Arden Shore Child & Family Services’s 125 years of community service in Chicagoland’s Northshore with an honorary street naming ceremony. There will be an “Arden Shore” street sign installation at 9:00 AM on the corner of Genesee Street and Grand Avenue where Arden Shore is located. Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor is scheduled to make the dedication, which is open to the public.
“The City of Waukegan’s honorary street name installation is such a beautiful recognition of the organization’s history. In fact, Arden Shore took its name from the road where it started—Arden Shore Road—just a few miles south of where the organization stands today. Our 125-year anniversary is a celebration of the thousands of people who dedicated their lives to rebuilding the lives of children and families at Arden Shore since 1898 and we are so grateful to share it with our community,” said Dora E. Maya, Ph.D, President and CEO of Arden Shore Child & Family Services.
In the summer of 1898, members of the Glencoe Congregational Church organized a respite camp overlooking Lake Michigan on the county line. The two-week program gave hundreds of women and children from Chicago an opportunity for recreation and community building. While the facility and locations changed in the years that followed, Arden Shore remained dedicated to the well-being of children and their families so that everyone can reach their full potential—providing responsive and preventative programs and services designed to meet the most pressing needs of the day.
Now, the demand for Arden Shore’s family-centered programming is at an all-time high. Arden Shore is one of only two traditional foster care organizations in northern Illinois and is one of few organizations providing mental health services in English and Spanish, regardless of ability to pay. Arden Shore’s largest program—its early intervention “Intact Family Preservation Program”—is operating at capacity.
“In order to ensure Arden Shore can continue to address the underlying challenges facing both children and their families, sustained community engagement is essential,” said Dr. Maya.
Arden Shore invites its diverse network of supporters to celebrate their shared 125-year history of keeping families healthy, safe, and together and envision a future where our community is a healthy place to live, work, and play.
For questions about the event, please contact us at info@ardenshore.com or (847)623-1730 ext. 330